• Bailey 100 and a stroll to 14,000 ft.

    This weekend marked the third running of the Bailey 100....and my 2nd time racing. Going into the event my goals were simple: execute a good race from start to finish, improve my finishing time from last year, and improve my finishing place.  The course is straight forward; 50 miles of singletrack followed by 50 miles of forest service roads.

    My start was good....riding with the top 5 leaders. I fell off the pace just prior to the Colorado Trail, but I was OK with that as it would be a 7+ hr day in the saddle. I settled into my pace for the day. But there would be issues. For some reason my front wheel would not hold air. So, every 30 minutes or so I would have to stop and refill the wheel with the CO2. Eventually the CO2 ran out, but was able to get to the 50 mile aid station to grab my mini hand pump. At the half way point I utilized neutral support and pumped up the tires higher than normal for the remaining 50 miles of pavement and dirt roads. This year, this 50 mile section went much better for me. I settled into a good groove and rode solo down the road.  Managed to catch a few riders and better my placing.

    With 10 miles to go until the finish, the skies blackened and the lightening, rain, and hail hit the ground with authority! I don't think I have ridden in that hard of rain or hail in Colorado to date. The roads were flooded and the hail....the size of marbles....was fierce! While descending at 30 plus miles per hour, the hail felt like I was being blasted with marbles. My arms had welt marks...face was stinging....riding with my eyes nearly closed from the pain. Lucky for us riders it was short lived, but the temps dropped with the storm.

    2012 Bailey 100

    After finishing I snapped a quick photo before stripping down and jumping in my sleeping bag in the Ergon sprinter to warm up. It has been a long time since I have been that cold! As for the race, I finished 11th in the Pro Mens field. My placing was 6 better than last year....my time, 15 minutes faster. Overall, a good day on the bike with a clean solid energy burn. Check the race file on Strava

    On Saturday night I camped at the Bailey 100 venue again. The next AM before heading back to the smokey Front Range, I opted to get in a 14er. This one happened to be Mt Bierstadt. It was the easy option on the trip home and the views didn't disappoint. Because of its close proximity to Denver and easy access, this 14er sees a lot of people, mostly tourists looking for their first 14er. This day was no different. Here are the images from the journey....

    Mount Bierstadt - 14,065 feet (4,287 m)

    Mount Bierstadt - 14,065 feet (4,287 m)

    Mount Bierstadt - 14,065 feet (4,287 m)

    Mount Bierstadt - 14,065 feet (4,287 m)

    Mount Bierstadt - 14,065 feet (4,287 m)

    The hike is also on Strava